Continuous gas burner strip and apparatus for making the same



Dec. 19, 1967 P. M. PAPPAS CONTINUOUS GAS BURNER STRIP AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Feb. 15. 1960 //7////,0 M Pap 0 at:

P. M. PAPPAS Dec. 19, 1967 CONTINUOUS GAS BURNER STRIP AND APPARATUS FOR MAKlNG THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 15. 1960 P. M. PAPFAS Dec. 19, 1967 CONTINUOUS GAS BURNER STRIP AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Feb. 15, 1960 Pfi//// o M Pap 0a.:

United States Patent 3,359,401 CONTINUOUS GAS BURNER STRIP AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME Phillip Miller Pappas, 2318 Bluebonnet Blvd, Houston, Tex. 77025 Original application Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,761, now Patent No. 3,133,588, dated May 19, 1964. Divided and this application Sept. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 306,806

8 Claims. (Cl. 219-81) This is a divisional application of original application Ser. No. 8,761, filed Feb. 15, 1960 on which Patent No. 3,153,588 was issued May 19, 1964.

This invention relates to an atmosphere type of gas burner. This type of burner employs a venturi mixer before the entrance to the burner where primary air is mixed as the jet of gas emitting from a small hole or orifice draws air through openings in the face of the mixer and the gas is mixed with said air and enters into the burner and emits from the burner holes or ports where it is ignited. This type of burner is very adaptable to utilize the various types of gases such as manufactured gas, mixed gas and liquefied petroleum gases. In burning such gases only a change in orifice size and primary air opening is required to support good combustion. Atmospheric burners are used in ranges, water heaters, ovens, broilers, furnaces, heaters and many other appliances. In these uses they are generally supplied of cast iron construction with drilled or slotted burner ports. While said cast iron burners are relatively inexpensive and durable in their raw form, they are expensive to drill and machine as the round or slotted burner ports cannot be cast to the tolerance required at reasonable costs and hence same must b machined or drilled after the casting is completed. Further, said cast burners are necessarily of fixed size and configuration and necessary pattern equipment to cast such burners is expensive. In addition, a set of said pattern equipment is required for each different shape or size and capacity of burner. A further limitation of cast burners is their heavy weight as the walls of such castings must be a minimum of approximately -inch thickness in order to prevent blowouts and losses in the casting process. The resulting heavy cast iron burners require extra heavy and rigid mountings and supports built into the appliance in which they are used to prevent damage to said appliance during transit as burners have been found to have a hammering action in transit by truck or rail and unless securely and rigidly mounted the hammering action will cause damage to the appliance. The heavy weight of the burners and their associated support structure also increase transportation costs.

Further, electric strip type of heaters have long had considerable advantage over gas heating in many applications because the electric strip heaters have flexibility, light weight, comparatively low cost plus easy and simple installation. This versatility and adaptability of electric strip type heaters has caused them to be utilized in many areas for many heating applications even though the energy cost of operating prevailing in said areas may be considerably higher than gas heating fuel costs to accomplish the same job.

With these factors in mind, I have invented a new type of atmospheric gas burner which is flexible, light weight, long lasting and requires no expensive machining, no expensive pattern equipment for each different size or configuration, nor does it require heavy rigid mountings and associated structure. Further, my light weight, flexible burner will be furnished appliance makers, gas companies and others who have use for burners in a continuous roll coil form or in long lengths so that the user may cut whatever length of burner he may need to perform a given function and may then easily coil it into a spiral form, or form it into a rectangular or square form, or a serpentine form, or make whatever form suits his purpose best and easily install it as the strip type of gas burner I have invented will also be supplied with an associated air mixer venturi to insert and attach to the entranceway of the burner section as well as an associated rear plug to close the end of the burner and with associated clamps to attach said air mixer venturi and said rear plug to said strip burner. Also, suitable associated mounting supports Will be furnished with the coiled or long lengths of the strip burner.

These and other objects are effected by the invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims in connection with accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a square shaped strip burner of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a ring or spiral shaped strip burner of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of a serpentine shaped strip burner of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a top sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the burner section in FIGURE 4 looking along line 55.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of one-half of the clamp member.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the rear insert plug of the strip burner section.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the T type of mounting bracket utilized to support the strip section and keep same in a fixed position.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the method of forming the burner sections.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged top plan view of the strip burner section.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged front elevation of the strip section taken along the line 1111 of FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a variation of the strip burner section.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 show the strip burner sections and square, spiral and serpentine configurations respectively. Gas supply is provided by gas pipe 1 and same is injected through gas orifice 2 into the venturi mixer 4 with adjustable air shutter 3 controlling primary air for proper combustion. Venturi mixer 4 is slideably inserted into and clamped to the strip burner section 7 by means of two clamps 5 with associated bolts 6. End plug 8 is slideably inserted into and clamped to the ends of strip burner sections 7 by means of two clamps 5 with associated bolts 6 attaching same. It will be seen that after the primary air is mixed with the gas in venturi mixer 4 the combustible mixture passes through the strip burner section 7, and is ignited at each port or hole 23 formed in the upper portion of the strip burner sections. A burner 3 pilot light, not shown, is provided to ignite the combustible mixture emanating from ports 23.

FIGURE 4 is a top sectional cutaway view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 5 showing burner orifice 2, adjustable air shutter 3, venturi mixer 4, clamp members 5 attaching venturi mixer 4 to strip burner section '77A by means of bolts 6 and nuts 9. End plug 8 is attached to the end of the strip burner 7-7A in a like manner by means of two clamp members 5 attached by bolts 6 and nuts 9. It should be noted that the dotted lines showing the bottom portion of the strip burner section have two vertical mating one-half round formed portions 11 and 11A in the same relative position as the formed ports at the top portion of the burner. These one-half round mating formed portions 11 and 11A and the parallel straight edges between are continuously joined together along the bottom portion of the burner.

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4. Gas enters through hole 16 in orifice 2 which is held in place by screw 15. The injection of the gas draws primary air through openings 12 and 13 into the venturi mixer 4. The air openings 12 and 13 are adjustable to provide for various types of gases and B.t.u. ratings by means of slidable air shutter 3 which is held in a fixed position by tightening screw 14 which is threaded to the face of venturi mixer 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged perspective view of clamp member 5 showing angle flange 17 with bolt hole 18. The top and bottom vertical portions of clamp members 5 have one-half round formed portions 19 and 19A which keep said clamp members in a fixed relation with ports 23 at the top and the mating one-half round formed portions 11 and 11A at the bottom of said strip burner section, thus providing rigid attachment of venturi mixer 4 and end plug 8 to the strip burner sections.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective view of end plug member 8 showing flanges 43 provided with holes 44 which align with hole 18 or clamp members 5 of FIGURE 6. A radiused inverted V portion 45 is provided at the top and bottom center of the end plug 8 to provide for a gastight slide fit of this portion of the end plug into the strip burner section. Similar radiused inverted Vs are provided on the exterior top and bottom center 'of venturi mixer 4 where same slide fits into the front of strip burner section as shown in FIGURE 5. These radiused inverted V's provided on the slide fitted front air venturi mixer and on the rear slide fitted end plug insure their being gas-tight so that the combustible mixture emanates only from ports 23.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of mounting member 20 for the strip burner sections and same is provided with two mounting holes 21 to bolt same in place. One-half round formed portion 22 permits the lower onehalf round mating portions 11 and 11A of the strip burner sections to slide into the narrow opening 46. It will be noted that several of the members 20 can be employed to mount the strip burner sections and support same in a relatively fixed position yet permit easy removal of said strip burner sections by simply lifting same upward. American Gas Association specifications on many appliances require easily removable burners .andthese support members provide for same.

FIGURE 9 shows a top diagrammatic view of the roll forming and welding machine for making and coiling the strip burner sections. The strip burner sections are made from two strips of thin gauge material, preferably stainless steel as same will not rust away nor corrode and while relatively expensive per pound the thin gauge and light weight of the burner provides for relatively inexpensive stainless steel construction. The thin gauge metal strips 28 and 28A will feed in from spools or coils 26-26A which rotate on shafts '27-27A into female roll forms dies 29- 29A rotating on shafts 30-30A. The male roll form dies 33-33A driven by shafts 34-34A follow the form of onehalf of the strip burner section with the male protrusion 35-35A mating into the female sections 31-31A of the female roll form dies 2929A, thus forming the strip burner sections 7-7A. The center portion of the roll forming dies also forms pleats 10-10A and the lower portion of the roll form dies form the lower one-half round portions 1111A at the same time so that each side of the strip burner section is completely formed when same emits from the roll forming dies. Idler guide rollers 3636A rotate on shafts 37-37A and guide the two formed strip burner sections into the rotating resistance welding rollers 3838A rotating on shafts 39-39A. Said resistance welding rollers are of copper alloy to carry the welding current and the outer peripheral portions press and weld together the strip burner sections between the holes or ports 23 at the top of the burner sections and continuously weld the two strips 1141A together at the bottom of the burner sections. The finished burner is then coiled onto spool or coil 41 driven by shaft 42. It will be noted that if straight lengths are required a long straight run-out table will be provided rather than coil 41.

It will be seen that this roll forming and welding machine is capable of producing a continuous quantity of thin-wall, light gauge gas strip burners completely formed, welded and with the necessary ports closely spaced for maximum B.t.u. rating for foot of length and that same is accomplished with a minimum of labor, material and finished weight. It should be further noted that by merely changing the rotating forming and welding dies and substituting others on their respective rotating shafts strip burners of varying internal gas-carrying area can be supplied to meet different requirements.

FIGURE 10 shows the top view of a section of the formed and welded strip burner, the two sections 7-7A having accordion type pleats formed at 1040A along their center portion with formed one-half round portions 24 and 25 providing round openings and ports 23 along the upper portion.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged front view of strip burner section showing the formed accordion type pleats 10 along the center section, the formed one-half round portions 25 along the upper section and the inward formed one-half round portions 11 along the lower section. Although these lower one-half round formed portions 11 do not form ports or openings as the opposing side of the strip burner section is formed in the same direction same are nonetheless desirable as they use approximately the same amount of the strip material per foot of finished burner section as the openings or ports 23 along the upper section and this prevents the strip material from wanting to climb or bend upward when it is being formed. Also, the accordion pleats 10-10A help in utilizing approximately the same amount of the strip material per foot of finished strip burner section thus further aiding in the forming process. In addition, the formed accordion pleats add to the vflexibility of the burner as same permit bending of the thin gauge strip burner sections to a tight radius without same collapsing or restricting the internal passageway in order to form various configurations of burner shapes as shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3 and as would be required invarious types of variations.

FIGURE 12 shows a perspective view of a variation of the strip burner section. This variation would provide ports or holes 23 emanating from both the upper and lower portions of the strip burner section as one-half round formed portions 24 and 25 would be formed in opposite directions at both the upper and lower edges of the burner sections. Strip burner sections of this type could be utilized in clothes driers, for example, as said burner could be easily formed to encircle the drier drum and provide uniform heat completely around same.

I claim:

1. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine utilizing thin gauge corrosion resisting steel strip metal in continuous long lengths coiled on two reels or spools with said coiled strip metal fed into separate rotating forming die sets each consisting of a rotating female and male die with each set forming one-half section of the gas burner by forming half-round tubular openings along the upper flanged vertical portion of the strip metal onehalf the outwardly formed central passage for the combustible mixture along the center portions of the strip metal with inwardly formed V pleats extending partly into said center portions and forming mating half-round vertical portions along the lower flanged vertical sections with guide rollers directing said formed half sections of said gas burner together and opposed to each other intothe roller resistance welder dies consisting of two revolving opposed die sets of current carrying copper alloy with said dies pressing and welding together the two half sections of said burner along the upper mating vertical flanges between the opposed half-round vertical forms and pressing and welding together the lower vertical flanged half round mating sections as Well as the flanged straight 'vertical sections for a continuous weld searn joining the two half burner sections continuously together along the bottom vertically flanged area with the subsequent formed and joined gas burner section then coiled onto a revolving spool or reel.

2. Apparatus for forming a continuous gas burner strip comprising a pair of spaced feed rolls, two continuous strips of thin gauge steel strip material with one strip on each roller, a pair of female die rolls, a pair of alinged male die rolls, means for feeding each strip between a male and a female die roll to form confronting concave burner strip sections with oppositely disposed flanges on their edges, said die rolls having means forming half round confronting tubular openings on one flange of each strip and half round interengaging portions on the other flange of each strip, a pair of idler rollers positioned to converge with formed confronting burner strip sections into abutting relation, and a pair of Welding resistance rollers for welding said flanges together to form said continuous gas burner strip.

3. Apparatus for forming a continuous gas burner strip comprising a pair of spaced feed rolls, two continuous strips of thin gauge steel strip material with one strip on each roller, a pair of female die rolls, a pair of alinged male die rolls, means for feeding each strip be tween a male and a female die roll to form confronting concave burner strip sections with oppositely disposed flanges on their edges, said die rolls having means forming half round confronting tubular openings on one flange of each strip and half round interengaging portions on the other flange of each strip, a pair of idler rollers positioned to converge with formed confronting burner strip sections into abutting relation, and a pair of welding resistance rollers for welding said flanges together to form said continuous gas burner strip, said die rollers having means for forming a plurality of inwardly extending V pleats in the outer surface of said burner strip sections to impart flexibility thereto.

4. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine utilizing thin gauge corrosion resisting steel strip metal in continuous long lengths coiled on two reels or spools with said coiled strip metal fed into two separate rotating forming die sets each consisting of a rotating female and male die with each set forming one-half section of the gas burner by forming half-round tubular openings along the upper flanged vertical portion of the strip metal, one-half the outwardly fonmed central passage for the combustible mixture along the center portion of the strip metal forming with inwardly formed V pleats extending partly into said center portions and forming half-round tubular openings along the lower flanged vertical sections with guide rollers directing said formed half sections of said gas burner together and opposed to each other into the roller resistance welder dies consisting of two revolving opposed die sets of current carrying copper alloy with said dies pressing and welding together the two half sections of said burner along the upper mating vertical flanges between the half-round vertical forms and pressing and welding 6 together the lower mating vertical flanges between the lower opposed half-round vertical forms joining the two half burner sections together with the subsequent formed burner section then coiled onto a revolving spool or reel.

5. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine utilizing two thin gauge metal strips in continuous long lengths coiled on two reels with said coiled metal strips feeding into two rotating forming die sets each set consisting of a rotating female and male die with each set forming one half section of the gas burner by forming a substantially rectangular central passage, forming inwardly extending V pleats partly into said central passage, said die sets continuously flanging the edges of said metal strips outwardly from said central passage, each die set forming spaced half round depressions extending perpendicularly from said central passage across said flanged edges, with guide rollers directing said formed half sections of said gas burner together and opposed to each other into a rotating roller resistance welding die set of cur-rent carrying copper alloy with said roller welder die set pressing and welding together the two half sections of said burner along the flanged edges between said formed half round depressions with subsequent formed and welded gas burner section then coiled onto a large revolving reel.

6. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine as in claim 5 with rotating forming die sets forming spaced half round depressions perpendicularly across three of the four flanged edges of the two metal strips, forming spaced half round protrusions across one of the flanged edges with guide rollers directing said formed half sections together and opposed to each other into a rotating roller resistance welding die set of current carrying copper alloy with said roller die set pressing and welding together the two half sections of said burner along two abutting flanged edges between said formed half round depressions with said roller die set pressing and continuously welding together the other two abutting flanged edges with said spaced formed half round depressions mating with and welding to said spaced half round protrusions with subsequent formed and welded gas burner section then coiled onto a large revolving reel.

7. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine utilizing two thin gauge metal strips in continuous long lengths coiled on two reels with said coiled metal strips feeding into two rotating forming die sets each set consisting of a rotating female and male die with each set forming one half the substantially rectangular formed central passage said die set continuously fianging the edges of said metal strips outwardly from said central passage, each die set forming spaced half round depressions extending perpendicularly from said central passageway across said flanged edges with guide rollers directing said formed half sections of said gas burner together and opposed to each other into a rotating roller resistance die set of current carrying copper alloy with said roller welder die set pressing and welding together the two half sections of said burner along the flanged edges between said formed half round depressions with subsequent formed and welded gas burner section extending onto a long run out table.

8. A gas burner roll forming and welding machine utilizing two thin gauge metal strips in continuous long lengths coiled on two reels with said coiled metal strips feeding into two rotating forming die sets each set consisting of a rotating female and male die with each set forming one half the substantially rectangular formed central passage said die set continuously flanging the edges of the strip metal outwardly from said central passage, each die set forming spaced half round depressions perpendicularly across three of the four flanged edges of the two metal strips, one die set forming spaced half round protrusions along the one of the flanged edges with guide rollers directing said formed half sections together and opposed to each other into a rotating roller resistance welding die set of current carrying copper alloy 7 '8 with said roller die set pressing and welding together the References Cited two half sections of said burner along two abutting flange-d UNITED STATES PATENTS edges between said formed half round depressions wlth said roller welding die set pressing and continuously weld- 2,151,422 3/1939 De Ganahl 219' 83 X ing together the other two abutting flanged edges with 5 2159290 5/1939 pePkala 72179 X said spaced formed half round depressions mating with 2,481,087 9/ 1949 Cnse 219-83 and welding to said spaced half round protrusions with subsequent formed and welded .gas burner section extend- RICHARD WOOD "nary Exammer ing onto a long table. B. A. STEIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GAS BURNER ROLL FORMING AND WELDING MACHINE UTILIZING THIN GAUGE CORROSION RESISTING STEEL STRIP METAL IN CONTINUOUS LONG LENGTHS COILED ON TWO REELS OR SPOOLS WITH SAID COILED STRIP METAL FED INTO SEPARATE ROTATING FORMING DIE SETS EACH CONSISTING OF A ROTATING FEMALE AND MALE DIE WITH EACH SET FORMING ONE-HALF SECTION OF THE GAS BURNER BY FORMING HALF-ROUND TUBULAR OPENINGS ALONG THE UPPER FLANGED VERTICAL PORTION OF THE STRIP METAL ONEHALF THE OUTWARDLY FORMED CENTRAL PASSAGE FOR THE COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE ALONG THE CENTER PORTIONS OF THE STRIP METAL WITH INWARDLY FORMED V PLEATS EXTENDING PARTLY INTO SAID CENTER PORTIONS AND FORMING MATING HALF-ROUND VERTICAL PORTIONS ALONG THE LOWER FLANGED VERTICAL SECTIONS WITH GUIDE ROLLERS DIRECTING SAID FORMED HALF SECTIONS OF SAID GAS BURNER TOGETHER AND OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER INTO THE ROLLER RESISTANCE WELDER DIES CONSISTING OF TWO REVOLVING OPPOSED DIE SETS OF CURRENT CARRYING COPPER ALLOY WITH SAID DIES PRESSING AND WELDING TOGETHER THE TWO HALF SECTIONS OF SAID BURNER ALONG THE UPPER MATING VERTICAL FLANGES BETWEEN THE OPPOSED HALF-ROUND VERTICAL FORMS AND PRESSING AND WELDING TOGETHER THE LOWER VERTICAL FLANGED HALF ROUND MATING SECTIONS AS WELL AS THE FLANGED STRAIGHT VERTICAL SECTIONS FOR A CONTINUOUS WELD SEAM JOINING THE TWO HALF BURNER SECTIONS CONTINUOUSLY TOGETHER ALONG THE BOTTOM VERTICALLY FLANGED AREA WITH THE SUBSEQUENT FORMED AND JOINED GAS BURNER SECTION THEN COILED ONTO A REVOLVING SPOOL OR REEL. 